So, as I said in my recent post, “Organization and Simplicity Add Peace“, I’m in the process of trying to simplify my life. With that in mind I am thinking of some simple ways to declutter and organize and I thought I’d share them with you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Simple Ways to Declutter Your Spaces
1. Start by removing trash. This may seem obvious but sometimes when you look at a messy room it is just too overwhelming to know where to start.
2. Next, choose one small area to organize — like a drawer or a closet. It may not seem like much but you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to get started and if you do a small area each day you’ll have the entire job done before you know it without getting so overwhelmed.
3. Sort items into three piles: Keep, donate and toss. This part can be hard if you have sentimental attachment to your belongings as I do. This is another reason not to tackle the entire job at once. It gives me time to say good-bye to some items that I love but really don’t have use for any more.
4. Find a specific home for everything you intend to keep — for example, a hook for your keys. I love this part! It feels so good to have everything put away neatly! Also, if everything has a home it makes cleaning so much easier later because you don’t have to figure out where to put things you just have to take each item to it’s home.
5. Group similar items together, instead of storing them in multiple places, so you always know where to find them. This is a good idea because not only can you find the items easier, you can also see if you have 10 pairs of scissors or some other item and that makes it easier to decide to donate some of the extras.
6. If you buy something new, pledge to get rid of something else to limit items in your home. This is always a good practice. It’s easy to forget at first but make this a habit and it will help to keep things neat and orderly.
7. If you’re holding on to items to pass to the next generation, ask your heirs if they want the items. Be prepared for them to say no, and be gracious. Here again, I know some of these things that we hang on to we’ve grown to love. Maybe some of them were passed down to us from our parents and grandparents. If the item is something you really love and your children don’t want it, keep it and enjoy it yourself. If you don’t want it either then take a picture of it and donate it. You can have the satisfaction of know that someone is getting use out of it and you can still reminisce with your picture in hand.
8. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Schedule limited amounts of time to work on decluttering and organizing on a regular basis. This is a theme that has been in some of the other tips but bears repeating. This job can be overwhelming but breaking it into small bites makes it much more palatable. In the end you will have a clean, organized and comfortable environment to spend your time in.
Stay tuned for more ideas as I continue on this path to freedom from clutter!
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